When to Plant Beets [27 States, 43 Regions]
Beets in many locations are a shoulder crop. While they’re easy to grow, they are divas about temperature. In a perfect world, you’d want 50 to 70 days of soil temperatures between 50° F and 75° F for them to thrive.
Beets don’t like temperature changes or huge swings, but they tolerate soil temperatures up to 90° F and down to 20° F. I will say at those extremes for too long, they can wilt, get sunburnt, have stunted growth, and even bolt.
If you’ve ever tasted the bitterness of bolted lettuce, you won’t want to try bolted beets. It’s just as bad.
So when planning to plant beets, I do my best to find at least 50 days (70 for longer-growing beet varieties) where my soil is between 40° F and 80° F. During that window is the best time to plant beets.
In case you’re not a geek like me who measures their soil temperature two times a day (hey, we all have our things), I did a mini garden tour across the country to compile a master list of when to plant beets in as many states as I could find gardeners.
Here we go!
How to Check Temperatures
I love the website Weather Spark. You can check historical temperatures and averages for any location in the US. I use this to get a sense of my growing timeline to make sure I have enough time and I know what to expect in terms of potential heat or cold spikes.
This also helps me get a sense of the best time to plant based on seed germination temperatures.
Keep in mind that this website gives historical air temperatures, not soil. I usually find that my soil varies from air temperatures by about 10°-15° F.
But once you have an idea of when to plant, you can use a soil thermometer to check your soil. When it’s over 40° F, you can plant beets.
Technically, you can plant seeds below 40°F, they just won’t germinate until the soil warms up. In the north, it’s best to be careful too, because although mature beet plants are quite cold-hardy, seedlings are not and a frost below 31°F can be lethal to young plants.
This is why I never liked the advice to plant 2-3 weeks before the last frost date. It just never worked for me. Instead, I base my planting on germination temperatures and the time I need for the plant to reach maturity and it’s never failed me.
So without further ado, here’s what I’ve found about planting beets in 27 states from other gardeners. Enjoy the shortcut!
One quick note about all of these planting dates, they are assuming you are not installing any additional measures to protect against heat and cold. You can extend growing seasons by making use of row covers. Row covers can improve the hardiness of mature beets by nearly 10°F - that’s a big deal.
When to Plant Beets in Alabama
North Alabama
Plant beets in mid-March and then again in late July or early August.
Central Alabama
Plant beets in the garden in February and then again in August for a fall harvest.
South Alabama
Plant beets in early February and again in late August through early September.
When to Plant Beets in Arkansas
In Arkansas, most gardeners plant beets from late February through early March.
When to Plant Beets in California
Northern California
In most of the northern parts of the state, it’s advised to plant beets from late February through early April and then again in mid-August through early October.
Southern California
Southern California has a long growing season. You can succession sow beets from mid-September all the way through early May.
When to Plant Beets in Colorado
Some gardeners in Colorado suggested planting beet seeds every 2 weeks from mid-April through mid-summer. Others started seeds indoors. I suspect that it depends on where you live.
Aspen Region
The gardeners I met in Aspen started beet seeds indoors in early May and planted them outdoors around mid-June.
Northern Colorado
In the northern part of the state, several gardeners said that starting seedlings indoors in April was the best and they transplanted them in late May. They also planted directly outdoors in August for a fall crop.
Denver Region
In the Denver and southeast parts of the state, the best time to plant beets outdoors in the garden was from mid to late May.
Southwest Colorado
Beets are sown in this region from April through August. Many people succession plant them every 2 weeks to enjoy a continuous supply of beets all summer long.
Grand Junction Region
In the grandjunction region, many people plant beets throughout March.
When to Plant Beets in Florida
Most of Florida has a long growing season for beets meaning you can enjoy them nearly all year round.
North Florida
Plant beets from August all the way through February.
Central Florida
Plant beets from September through February.
South Florida
Plant beets from October through January.
When to Plant Beets in Georgia
Georgia is a diverse state and the growing season can include March, April, and July through September depending on where you live.
North Georgia
Many gardeners in the northern part of the state start beets indoors under a grow light and heat mat in March and then transplant them outside in April. Contrary to popular belief, beets transplant just fine as long as you don’t squeeze the heck out of the taproot when doing so.
You can then also start another round of beets indoors in July and transplant them by the beginning of September for a fall harvest.
Central Georgia
Gardeners in central Georgia also start beet seeds indoors with a grow light and heat mat in March and transplant them into the garden in April.
Unlike northern Georgia though, the central part of the state typically waits until August to start seeds indoors and then transplants them in September.
South Georgia
Growing beets in southern Georgia can be more challenging because the summers are long and hot. In the south, start beet seeds indoors in February and transplant in the garden in March. Do the same by starting seeds again in August and transplanting in September through early October.
When to Plant Beets in Illinois
Most Illinois beet growers I found plant seeds from March through early May and then again from late July through early August. Some even plant all the way up until September. Although I think you’re gambling waiting that long unless you’re growing them for greens and baby beets.
When to Plant Beets in Indiana
Indiana has a great growing season for beets. As a former Hoosier myself, I can say the weather here suits these root crops well.
North Indiana
Plant beets from mid-April through mid-June.
Central Indiana
Plant beets from early April through mid-June
South Indiana
Plant beets from mid-March through early June.
When to Plant Beets in Iowa
Home beet growers in Iowa said they succession plant beets every 2 weeks from early April through early August. That’s a good growing season!
When to Plant Beets in Kansas
Kansas planting dates for beets are from mid-March through mid-April for spring crops and then again from early August to mid-August for fall crops.
When to Plant Beets in Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky
Plant beets from late March through mid-April.
Central Kentucky
Plant beets from mid-March through mid-April.
Western Kentucky
Plant beets from mid-March through early April.
When to Plant Beets in Louisiana
Northern Louisiana
In the northern part of the state, many people plant bets from February through March for spring crops and then again from mid-September through mid-November for fall crops.
Southern Louisiana
In the south, plant beets from mid-January through mid-March and then again from mid-August through mid-November.
When to Plant Beets in Maine
Northern Maine
Plant beets from early May through the mid-August.
Central Maine
Plant beets from late April through early August.
Coastal Maine
Plant beets from mid-April through late July.
When to Plant Beets in Maryland
In Maryland, many gardeners said they plant beets from April through July. A few even mentioned that they will sow seeds all the way through the first week of August.
When to Plant Beets in Massachusetts
Many people I found in Massachusetts start seeds indoors with grow lights and heat mats from April through June and then transplant them when soil temperatures are consistently above 50°F.
Some directly sow seeds outdoors from mid-February to the end of the month and then gain at the end of August through September.
When to Plant Beets in Michigan
Some people told me that you can plant beets throughout the entire growing season in some parts of Michigan, but the majority said they start seeds indoors from March through June using a heat mat and grow light and transplant them from May through August outdoors.
When to Plant Beets in Minnesota
Plant beet seeds from May through early August in Minnesota.
When to Plant Beets in Missouri
Beets can be grown in Missouri in the Spring and again at the end of Summer.
North Missouri
The gardeners I found in northern Missouri plant their beet seeds from April 1 to April 15.
They then do a late summer planting from July 25 to August 1 for a fall harvest. Mature beet plants are pretty cold-hardy, so it’s possible to grow a second crop here.
Central Missouri
In the central part of the state, many home gardeners plant beets from March 15 to April 15, doing a succession sowing every week or two.
It’s also possible to plant another round of beets from August 1 to August 10 for a fall crop.
South Missouri
In the southern part of the state, plant beets throughout the entire month of March and then again in early August.
When to Plant Beets in NC
Many people plant from February through April and again in August depending on where they live in North Carolina.
Yadkin Valley
I found gardeners that plant beets from March 1 through mid-April in this region and said that is the best time to plant.
Piedmont Region
In the Piedmont regions, gardeners planted as early as the beginning of February all the way through mid-April and then again from mid-August to mid-September.
When to Plant Beets in Ohio
Several gardeners in Ohio told me that they use St. Patrick’s Day (mid-March) as the official date to plant beets in their gardens. Others waited until mid-April to plant when the soil temperatures were higher to encourage faster germination.
In Ohio, you can succession sow beets from the end of March through June.
When to Plant Beets in Oklahoma
The majority of gardeners recommend planting beets directly in the garden from mid-February through mid-April and then again from mid-August through mid-September.
If you succession plant a few every 2 weeks, you’ll have a continuous supply of beets for most of the year.
When to Plant Beets in Oregon
Coastal Oregon
On the coast, it’s safe to plant beets from February through June and then again in August for the fall.
Western Valleys
Most people in these regions said they plant beets from March all the way through June.
Mountains
In the mountain areas of central and eastern Oregon, plant beets from April through June.
Snake Valley
In the Snake Valley region, home gardeners said they plant beets from March through early July.
Central Oregon
Plant beets from mid-April through early June and then again in August for a fall harvest.
Willamette Valley
Plant beets from mid-March through mid-May and then again at the end of July or start of August for a fall crop.
When to Plant Beets in PA
The few gardeners I found in Pennsylvania planted beet seeds directly in their gardens as early as March. Most gardeners stop planting beets by the end of April.
Beets do best in soil that is between 50° and 75°F and soil temperatures really can start to heat up by the end of May.
When to Plant Beets in South Dakota
In northern places like South Dakota, many start seeds indoors from March through April using a heat mat and grow light. They then transplant the seedlings once soil temperatures are over 50°F, typically ending transplants around late May.
It’s safe to plant again from mid to late August for a fall harvest. If temperatures are too warm, some start seedlings indoors in June to transplant in August.
When to Plant Beets in Texas
Texans have a good growing season for beets. Many home growers said that fall beets are sweeter than spring ones, which aligns with my experience growing in the South as well. The colder weather in the winter really sweetens them up.
When to Plant Beets in North Texas
In the north, Texans plant beets from February through mid-March and then plant again throughout the month of September.
When to Plant Beets in Central Texas
In the central part of the state, it’s safe to succession sow beet seeds from February through April and then again from August through October.
When to Plant Beets in South Texas
South Texas has a long growing season for beets. Many gardeners succession sow seeds from January through February and then again from September through mid-November.
It is possible to sow seeds in late August, but it will take more water and babying of the seedlings due to the heat.
When to Plant Beets in Utah
In Utah, you can direct sow beet seeds from late March through early April and then again from mid-July through early August.
When to Plant Beets in Virginia
Some people use a hoop house and plant beets in February and then again in September, but for those of us who don’t have one, it’s more typical to plant in March and again in August depending on where you live.
North Virginia
In the north and west parts of the state, most beets are planted in late March and then again in late July for a fall harvest.
South Virginia
In the south and eastern part of the state, beets are planted in early March and early August.
Recommended Reading
How to Plant Beet Seeds
Can Beets Be Transplanted?
